Fruit-sizing machine



yMarch 6, 1928.

J. V. ROGERS FRUIT SIZING MACHINE Filed Deo. 25. 1926 2 sheetssheet A1 fluor/Muga.

March 6,1928. 1,661,503

J. V. ROGERS -FRUIT sIzING MACHINE Filed Dec. 25. 192s 2 sheets-Sheet z I l v @5ta f @trof/n u; a

@4a/vento@ A Y Patented Mar.`6, 1928i.

JABTN v. ROGERS, or cAsHMnnn, WASHINGTON.

FRUIT-SIZING MACHINE.

Application. ld December 23, 1928. Serial No. 156,668.

This invention relates to a machine. for sizing fruit and the like, one of the objects being to provide a simple and compact mechanism which can be operated continuously for conveying fruit from a feed hopper Vto series of bins or other containers into which` the fruit will be delivered according to size. lfVith the` foregoing and other objects 1n view which will appear as the description l5* proceeds, the invention resides in the comb1- nation and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter' described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the 1nvention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form of the invention has been 99 shown. y t

In said drawings, l. e Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, a portion ofthe feed table being shown by brokenvlines; i

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the inachine. l

Figure 3 ,is a section on line 3 3, Flgure 1, the belts being shown in elevation.

Figures 4 and 5 are sections through coi' operating belts taken at diderentpoints and showing fruit of different sizesbeing ejected. Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a frame of any desired .proportions provided, along its longi-y tudinal center, with spaced parallel beams 2. Arranged within' each side portion .of the frame 1 is a longitudinal series of bins 3 preferably arranged obliquely as shown, the

Vbottoms of the bins, in the structure illus trated, being inclined downwardly and laterally as shown at 4.

An endless conveyor belt 5 is located between one ofthe beams 2 and the adjacent series of bins '3, this belt being inclined downwardly and inwardly so that the two endless belts thus cooperate to provide a fruit supporting. table. Each belt 5 is mounted at its ends on rollers 6 and 7 respectively and the rollers 6 can be operated by any suitable mechanism. For example the inner ends thereof can be connected by universal couplings 8-to atransverse shaft 9 journaled in bearings 10 and having a gear 11. This gear receives mot-ion through a gear 12 from a drive shaft 13 extending transversely of and supported by the frame downwardly,

1. A pair of upstanding rollers 14 is provided at the delivery end of the frame, these rollers being located slightly beyond the adjacent vend ofk the belt- 5 and Vbeing spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the width of said belt. A roller 15 is mounted on each ofthe beams 2 close to the receiving end of the frame 1.

Thus three rollers, 141 and 15, are located in close i proximity to each -of the belts 5. Mounted on these three rollers is an endless ldeflecting belt 16 the outer flight of which the upperV is extended diagonally across Hight of the belt 5. Each roller 15 is secured to a shaft 17 extending downwardly through the beam` 2 and provided `at its `single upstanding lower end with a gear 18. These gears are y adapted to receive motion through gears 19 from the drive shaft 13.

A feed table 2O is arranged at one end of the frame 1 and inclined downwardly tos ward and extends over said end of the frame where it is provided with converging deflectors r21 for directing fruits from the feed table 20 onto the respective belts 5;

In practice the fruit to be graded is Vplaced on thetable 20 and will gravitate to the respective belts 5. Then shaft 13 is in motion the belts 16 will be driven simultaneously in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 1 while the belts 5 will also be driven with their upper flights moving awayfrom table'QO in the same general .direction as the outer flights of the belts 16. As the belts 5 are inclined 4downwardly and inwardly or, in other words, ing flights of the `belts 5 and 16 converge fruits directed onto each belt 5 willgravitate inwardly against the belt as the cooperat- .i

16. Thus astlieebelts move in the direction stated,.the fruits will be gradually crowded laterally toward the outeredge of the belts 5. The larger fruits will rolloff of the edge of the belt 5 into those binsV 3 nearest; the table 20 while "the smaller fruits Vwill not be pushed off ofthe belt until those bins nearest the Yother end of the frame are reached. Thus the fruits can be sized with a reasonable degree of accuracy and at high speed.

Although the machine herein described has been referred to as a fruit sizing machine it is to be understood that it can be used efficiently for sizing variousother articles.

In order that the machine may be adjusted for grading fruits of diderent average sizes, the lower ends of the shafts on which the rollers 14 and l5 are mounted can be adjustably mounted Within slots 22. Thus the deflecting portion of each belt 16 can have its position relative to the delivery end of the belt 5 changed at will.

lturthermore, if" desired, the capacity of the machine could be increased by extending the conveying and deflecting belt, there being additional rollers or a roller on which the deflecting belt could be mounted.

lVith the machine described a very minute adjustment ot fruits of different average size can be effected.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. A fruit sizing machine including an endless conveying belt inclined laterally, and an endless ejeeting belt having one flight extending diagonally along the first named belt .from a point adjacent and above one end of the lower side thereof to a point adjacent and above the other end at the upper side thereof.

2. A fruit sizing machine including an endless fruit conveying belt inclined traitsversely, and an endless def'lecting belt having one flight extending diagonally across the conveying belt and moving substantially in the same direction as the upper flight, ol' the conveying belt.

3. A Al'ruit sizing machine including an endless conveying belt inclined transversely, means for directing fruit onto said belt at one end of its upper flight, and an endless defleeting belt having one flight extending diagonally across the upper flight of the conveying belt from a point adjacent the lower side of the fruit receiving end of the upper flight of the conveying belt to a point adjacent theouter or upper edge of said flight at the other end thereof.

4. A il'ruit sizing machine including a series of bins, a fruit conveying belt extending along one side of said series of bins and inclined downwardly laterally away from the bins, means for directing fruit onto the upper flight; of said conveying belt, and an obliquely disposed deflecting belt having a flight movable substantially in the same direction` as the upper Hight of the conveyiiw belt, said flights cooperating to convey fruit longitudinally and to deliver the same laterally up the inclined conveying belt into the respective bins according to size.

5. In a fruit sizing machine an endless conveying belt inclined transversely, a series of bilis along and below the upper side of the upper flight of said belt, an endless deflecting belt above the conveying belt and having one flight obliquely disposed and working in a plane upstanding from the conveying belt, the upper flight of the conveying belt and the obliquely disposed flight of the detlecting belt cooperating to expel fruits laterally liront the upper edge olf tite conveying belt into the respective bins according to size.

G. A fruit sizing machine including endless belts spaced apart and having their upper flights converging downwardly, said belts cooperating to provide a fruit conveying table. and an endless deflecting belt above each conveying beit having an inner flight. and an outer flight, the outer flight of the belt being obliquelv disposed relative to the conveying belt thereunder and cooperating therewitl'i to expel fruits over the npper longitudinal edge of the conveying belt at different points according to size, and bins for receiving the sized fruits.

T. A l'ruit sizing machine including an endless f'ruit; conveying belty inclined transversely, and an endless delict-ting belt having one flight extending diagonally across the conveying beltandmoving substantially in the same direction as the upper flight of the conveying belt, the deflecting belt heilig adjustably mounted relative to the conveying belt.

8. A lruit sizing machine including an endless conveying belt inclined transversely, means for directing 'liruit onto lsaid belt at one end of its upper flight, and an endless deflecting belt having one flight extend-ing diagonally across the upper flight of the con veying belt; 'from a point adjacent the lower side o'l the 'lruit receiving end of the upper flight of the conveyii'ig belt to a point adjacent the outer or upper edge of said flight at the other end thereof, said delict-ting belt being adjustable laterally relative to the conveying belt to vary the angle of the diagonal flight of the deflecting belt relative to the upper edge of the conveying belt.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signailllle.

JABIN V. ROGERS. 

